Six million taxpayers being auto-assessed as 2026 tax season gets underway

The 2026 tax filing season officially opened on Wednesday, with SARS announcing a range of digital enhancements to the taxpayer experience, aimed at making tax compliance simpler, faster, and more secure for millions of taxpayers.

SARS says as at the end of 1 July, more than 1.9 million taxpayers were auto-assessed with about R8 billion in refunds paid out within 72 hours. The tax body expects more than six million taxpayers to receive Auto Assessments this year.

This is done by using information from employers, banks, medical schemes, retirement funds, and other third-party providers, meaning SARS can pre-populate returns and significantly reduce the information taxpayers need to capture themselves.

As such, SARS has advised taxpayers selected for Auto Assessment, between 1 and 12 July, not to rush to SARS Service Centres.

Instead, they should wait for official SARS communication and review their assessments through eFiling, the SARS MobiApp, or other authorised digital channels.

What you need to do if you receive an auto-assessment notification:

View your assessment: log in to SARS eFiling (sarsefiling.co.za) or the SARS MobiApp to check your Assessment.
If you agree with your assessment, you do not need to submit a tax return.
If your assessment is incorrect, you can submit your 2026 Income Tax Return on or before 23 October 2026.
If a refund is due to you, refunds of R100 or more will be paid automatically within 72 hours. Refunds of less than R100 will be added to your account and paid out when your account balance exceeds R100.
If your assessment shows that you owe SARS, a debt of R100 or more must be paid by the due date to avoid interest charges. Debt of less than R100 will be carried over to the next tax year.

Key digital enhancements introduced for this filing season include:

More accurate Auto Assessments driven by expanded third-party data sources.
Expanded digital self-service capabilities through eFiling, SARS MobiApp, and SARS Online Query System.
Enhanced profile security through biometric authentication, two-factor authentication, and device-level security controls.
Expanded support through the Lwazi AI virtual assistant.
The ability to upload supporting documents through WhatsApp.
Delivery of Notices of Assessment and Statements of Account through WhatsApp and other digital channels.
Improved integration of taxpayer information and enhanced pre-population of returns.
SARS has also created the necessary capacity to cater for increased volumes of taxpayers interacting with it through the various channels.

“Our goal is to make compliance effortless for honest taxpayers”, said Dr Johnstone Makhubu, SARS Commissioner.

“Every enhancement introduced this Filing Season is designed to improve service, reduce complexity, and give taxpayers greater confidence when engaging with SARS. We want taxpayers to spend less time dealing with administration and more time benefiting from our modern digital services.”

Although SARS has strengthened its digital services and security controls, the Commissioner cautioned taxpayers to remain vigilant against scams, phishing attacks, fake refund schemes, and unregistered tax practitioners who frequently target taxpayers during Filing Season.

SARS will never request passwords, one-time pins (OTPs), banking PINs, or eFiling login credentials through email, SMS, social media, or telephone. Taxpayers are advised to only use official SARS channels and verify the credentials of any tax practitioner before sharing personal information.

“Taxpayers should be cautious of anyone who guarantees a refund or requests sensitive information without proper verification. Protecting personal information remains a shared responsibility between SARS and taxpayers”, Commissioner Makhubu warned.

“Our message to taxpayers is simple: make use of these digital services, trust the official SARS channels, and let the technology work for you. The easier we make compliance, the stronger our tax ecosystem becomes for everyone.”

Need Help?

SARS Website: visit the Filing Season webpage on sars.gov.za.
SARS Online Query System (SOQS): click on the SARS Online Query System (SOQS) tile on sars.gov.za.
SARS WhatsApp: send Hi or Hello to 0800117277.
AI Virtual Assistant: available 24/7 on the SARS website to answer your queries.
Dial *134*7277#: to access SARS services.
No need to visit a SARS branch. If you must, first book an appointment to avoid long queues.